Jon Gruden’s itch to get back into coaching is, well, quite the saga. The former NFL head coach famously resigned in 2021 after a major scandal involving offensive emails. Since then, Gruden has been hanging out in media roles and quietly schooling himself on the ever-evolving game. But make no mistake, he’s itching to lace up his coaching shoes again. And not just anywhere, he claims he’d “die to coach in the SEC.” The college football’s gladiator arena, where egos and jealousy run just as rampant as on the NFL sidelines.

Now, opinions about his comeback range from ‘Why on earth?’ to ‘Well, if he can turn quarterbacks into stars, maybe…’ And amid this swirling debate, ESPN reporter Pete Thamel has taken a firm stand on the unlikely duo that is Jon Gruden and the SEC coaching gig. The Pat McAfee Show lays out all of it. Thamel, ever the pragmatist, isn’t exactly sold on the idea of Gruden slipping into the SEC spotlight anytime soon. But on the opposite side of this coin toss is Pat McAfee. He was quick to throw down his defense for Gruden like a cornerback going for an interception.

“I would not project him to go to the SEC,” Thamel said when asked about Gruden’s chances of coaching in the SEC next year. “I will be amused if I think there are just better college coaches available than Jon Gruden.” And that came as an immense shock to McAfee. He, with a strong will to defend Gruden, said, “Jon Gruden’s certainly an excellent football coach.” But Thamel doesn’t see the transition happening anytime soon, if at all. His reasoning? Well, it’s a mix of tough competition and Gruden’s own baggage. Thamel points out that universities spread all over the country have 136 Division I FBS jobs. It’s from Miami to Seattle, even places you wouldn’t instantly think of, like Marshall or Western Kentucky.

In that wide landscape, Thamel thinks Gruden might land somewhere, but the SEC? Nah, probably not. Why? Because SEC programs are choosy and have their pick of coaches. On the other hand, Gruden still faces ongoing litigation and deals with the fallout from his leaked offensive email scandal. He checks too many negative boxes for these cautious programs. Thamel basically says that there are far better college coaches available for SEC jobs, and hiring someone like Gruden could bring “complexities” the schools don’t want to deal with. But that’s when McAfee made a good point; to be precise, it’s a point he raised from his love for Gruden.

“I understand,” McAfee stated. “I think that was gonna end with Jon Gruden maybe being able to take a little lower salary from these places. Don’t you worry about it. I got some league money that’ll go ahead and do that. I’ll be excited to see what that is because you get Jon Gruden in a room, any room. He’s taking over the room.” This reputation is backed by his storied career and the big-money contracts he’s commanded along the way. In 2018, Gruden inked a 10-year, $100 million contract with the Raiders. That was the richest coaching deal in NFL history at the time. It was an average of $10 million per year. That kind of bank doesn’t just reflect his coaching skills but also the aura and clout he brings to any organization. 

Even before that mega-deal, Gruden was pulling in multi-million-dollar salaries with Tampa Bay and as a high-paid ESPN commentator. He was making about $6.5 million annually during his TV years. This combination of football intellect and media savvy has made him a heavyweight personality in football circles. His baggage can end him earning a lesser amount of money, but that’s really not a problem. He commands attention and respect wherever he goes, which is priceless in locker rooms and recruiting rooms alike. But the CFB realities may be different. Even though Gruden has a solid coaching resume (including a Super Bowl win and years of NFL leadership), the college coaching world, especially the SEC, isn’t exactly lining up to welcome him back with open arms.

Jon Gruden riding the ‘Belichick Effect’

Jon Gruden’s potential return to college football coaching, specifically in the SEC, intriguingly hinges on one key factor. And that is Bill Belichick’s first season with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Belichick is a legendary NFL coach. He made a high-profile jump to college coaching in 2025. He joined UNC with a hefty paycheck and the lofty goal of transforming a struggling program. His arrival has been a game-changer. The attendance is booming, ticket sales are smashing records, and he’s already shuffled the roster with talented transfers and top recruits.

This immediate success and prominence are reshaping how college programs view the value and risks of bringing in big-name NFL coaches. Now, suppose Belichick succeeds in the college game, especially at a program that had not seen this level of competitive energy for a while. In that case, it signals to athletic directors that elite NFL coaching talent can be effectively translated to college football. For Jon Gruden, this is critical.

Like Belichick, he’s an NFL coaching veteran with a storied past but also a complicated one due to his scandal-related resignation in 2021. Athletic directors and programs, especially in the SEC known for being cautious with their reputations and image. They are closely watching Belichick’s first year to gauge just how safe and effective it is to bring in ex-NFL head coaches to college football. If Belichick thrives, it softens the huge risk factor surrounding Gruden and others like him.